German Steamed Buns

Dampfnudel is a sort of German steamed bun: sweet bread steamed in a ramekin, then topped with crème anglaise or another dessert sauce. Dampf means steam or vapor, and the nudel part means noodle, in the same sense that a Korean or Chinese rice cake is a cake (it’s a starchy thing, therefore it’s a noodle). milgwimper, currently living in Germany, recently had one topped with Kirsch sauce. The Germans imported these goodies to South Africa, says rworange, where they became known as souskluitjies (sauce dumplings). You can buy them in the refrigerated section in supermarkets—in Germany, at least. In other parts of the world, you’ll have to make your own, or seek out German restaurants that serve the treat.